Real Madrid have one of the most talented collections of midfielders in world football. Jude Bellingham is one of the world’s best at any position and the same can be said about the more underrated Fede Valverde.
Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni keeps getting better and better at the No. 6 position, while Eduardo Camavinga has just as much natural talent. Playmakers Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono are two of the world’s most promising, and, together, they fill out a squad that is six-deep in midfield.
But really, because Matantuono’s sweet left foot has been utilized by Xabi Alonso on the right wing, Real Madrid are down to five midfielders with the impending sale of Dani Ceballos to Marseille.
Real Madrid are strong in midfield, but with another grueling season ahead, Alonso and the club want to sign another midfielder in the squad to replace Ceballos, and while another controller is the desired option with Toni Kroos’s retirement still looming large, that profile doesn’t really exist on the market these days.
Real Madrid need a high-upside midfielder
So if Ceballos goes, Real Madrid are presumably open to all legitimate, high-upside options, and one of the best of those candidates would be Manchester United man Kobbie Mainoo.
According to a report from the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan, Real Madrid, as well as crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid, have shown concrete interest in Mainoo, who could even exit Manchester United on loan this summer.
Mainoo and Manchester United have been in contractual turmoil for at least a year now, and the 2023/24 breakout star, who fired Manchester United into the Europa League with a heroic FA Cup Final performance against Manchester City, has been left out as an afterthought by embattled manager Ruben Amorim.
A summer transfer is increasingly likely before the window closes, as Mainoo is pretty openly flirting with the idea of joining another club. And you’d have to think that if Manchester United can get a good offer for him, he’d go – or, like Antony over at Real Betis, make it out on loan.
Mainoo is too talented to be toiling away on the bench, and if Manchester United and Amorim were smart, they’d find a way to fit in the well-rounded midfielder into their dysfunctional unit.
Manchester United were much better in 2023/24 with Mainoo in the lineup, and the immediate sensation pretty quickly established himself as an England national team level player, too.
You’d also have to think that if Manchester United are seriously considering selling Mainoo, they’d much rather send him off to a La Liga club like Real Madrid that can’t hurt them as much, particularly since, to be blunt, the Red Devils are years away from competing with Real in the Champions League anyway.
Mainoo is a great athlete who has the technical quality to score great solo goals or from range. Weirdly enough, he’d face less pressure at Real Madrid than Manchester United, since Madrid already have five great midfielders and could ease Mainoo along, letting him shine in the Copa del Rey and other matches where the depth of the squad is needed.
If Real Madrid sell Ceballos, which may or may not happen, then there isn’t a more intriguing option than Mainoo. He’s not at the level of a passer that Madrid usually go for in midfield, but he could be strong cover for Camavinga, Fede, and Tchouameni as a 6 or an 8.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.